Jung Yumi’s fall from high society in Maids
by girlfriday
Teasers are out for cable network JTBC’s new Monday-Tuesday drama Maids, the Joseon-era upstairs-downstairs series about servants and the aristocracy they work for. Jung Yumi (Mother’s Garden) stars as a beautiful young noblewoman with the attention of the best and brightest of young men, but one day her family is forced into ruin, and overnight the city’s most popular young lady becomes a slave. The drama is about her life on the other side of the social barrier, as the maidservant to her former rival, of all people.
Oh Ji-ho (Ghost-Seeing Detective Cheo-young) plays a manservant who’s actually a warrior undercover, and Kim Dong-wook (The Concubine) plays a young scholar with a promising future, who’s in love with Jung Yumi from the start. She dreams of a marriage with someone she loves rather than through traditional family arrangements, and he’s the kind of boyfriend who brings her flowers every single day. How cute. Of course the change in her social status will affect their relationship, but he’ll remain devoted to her and rival Oh Ji-ho to win her heart.
The teasers look very pretty, though we only get the gist of the story ahead — Jung Yumi is “at her prettiest” when her family loses everything, and we see her go from privileged young lady to drowning, while screaming in voiceover, “Beasts… and you call yourselves people?!”
The second teaser is maybe a better judge of the show that we can expect to see. It tells us that slaves made up a whopping 60% of Joseon’s population, and that we were all someone’s slave at one point. The bustling world is filled with gossiping servant girls and mischievous playboy noblemen, and we’re warned: “Don’t trust the nobility.” Despite being a historical drama, it purports to have a modern sensibility, which is an intriguing angle that makes me curious to see how they execute the show.
Maids still doesn’t have an episode count or a premiere date locked in stone, but it’s due to premiere in December and air on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Via Osen
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Tags: Jung Yumi (2), Kim Dong-wook, Maids, Oh Ji-ho
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1 Peridot
November 13, 2014 at 4:28 AM
Something a little different! I would like to check this out :).
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2 mary
November 13, 2014 at 4:30 AM
Pretty and intriguing!!! :)))
Mondays and Tuesdays? Is this going to replace Yoona's Street?
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nobody
November 13, 2014 at 5:14 AM
Yes. I wish this new drama was as good as its predecessor.
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Jackill
November 13, 2014 at 5:30 AM
Yoo Na's Street it's the most underrated drama from 2014.
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James94131
November 13, 2014 at 6:04 AM
Absolutely agree. As good if not better than Misaeng. Cannot understand why jtbc shows like Yoo Na's Street get little publicity outside Korea but shows from tvn like My Secret Hotel and High School King of Savvy get massive publicity.
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mary
November 13, 2014 at 7:15 AM
Now I am curious about Misaeng.....
Jackill
November 13, 2014 at 7:21 AM
I think its because Yoo Na's Street its more long than the others, 50 episodes its too much for some people.
james94131
November 13, 2014 at 12:54 PM
@Mary, you'll like Misaeng. Yoo Na's Street about Korean blue collar crime slice of life. Misaeng about Korean corporate office worker slice of life. Criminal gang hierarchy/protocols/culture = corporate hierarchy/protocols/culture.
dfwkimchi
November 13, 2014 at 9:40 AM
Luv Luv Luv Yoona's street. Watched it raw and again when DarkSmurf has it like 98% translated and will marathon it again when our good folks - the 2 person subbing team - completes subbing the series.
Yoona's Street was so uplifting and touching. My all time favorite kdrama. Not makjang at all and pretty realistic. Every character was NOT perfect but their strengths always compensate for other's weaknesses.
Am curious about 'The Servants' - will of course watch this for Mr. Dimples - Oh Ji Ho (who now has a rival to Mr. Dimples title with appearance of Park Min Woo from Modern Farmers).
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3 Sour Grapes
November 13, 2014 at 4:33 AM
"Oh Ji-ho (Ghost-Seeing Detective Cheo-young) plays a manservant who’s actually a warrior undercover" - err, so basically his Chuno role all over again?
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a_diva
November 13, 2014 at 7:21 PM
that's what I was thinking, lol
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4 meh
November 13, 2014 at 4:33 AM
Trailer is meh but I'll watch it for Jung Yumi.
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5 4D
November 13, 2014 at 5:59 AM
I was hoping this would actually be about the lower ranks instead if someone pretty and rich who falls into it....but I'll take what I can get. Not sure if I will like this but I like seeing the "downstairs" portrayed in TV/movies.
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6 daria
November 13, 2014 at 6:24 AM
i love jung yumi in Friend, Our Legend because her character is feisty & not afraid to put herself out there... thennnn, i just kept choosing stuff where she's the comic cardboard villainess/3rd wheel (i'm looking at you Rooftop Prince & that pet movie).
so, as long as she's not playing those again, i'm on board :)
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tapiocapearl
November 13, 2014 at 9:57 AM
I like this actress based on Friend, Our Legend. I'm happy she's getting lead roles now and may watch this for her.
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7 Mandy
November 13, 2014 at 6:30 AM
All the upcoming sageuks look so interesting. I'm super excited for this. The premise alone is different and that's more than we can say for most of what's aired this year.
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8 pam
November 13, 2014 at 6:52 AM
cute actress
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9 Panda
November 13, 2014 at 7:15 AM
Looking forward to this. And since it's airing on jtbc, have a little more confidence it will be good
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10 mary
November 13, 2014 at 7:16 AM
Y'know what would be fun?
Watch Rooftop Prince alongside this show and see if you can shake off the "Die, Evil Sister! Die!" vibes from RP.
Hahaha~
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11 bd5
November 13, 2014 at 11:16 AM
JY started to get attention and better roles after her turn as a fairly minor supporting character (palace maiden/investigator) in "Dong Yi" where I thought she outshone HHJ.
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May
November 13, 2014 at 2:33 PM
I won't argue who outshone the other, but I really liked the scenes that involved both HHJ & JY. I love both their characters and the vibe between them. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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12 Quiet Thought
November 13, 2014 at 12:49 PM
The plot, in which the main character falls from social grace and is lifted back into the higher classes by someone whose position bridges the gap between classes, is classic Hollywood. So is the view of the old, class-ridden society taken from a modern viewpoint.
I was raised watching old Hollywood movies on TV, and, after a university education, learned enough to explain to people just how extraordinarily difficult it would be for adult women to even travel between cities without the protection of family, servants, or male companions, let alone survive and make their own living in the world. A woman cast out from most traditional societies would find that servitude, prostitution, or the rare mercy of strangers, might be all that stands between her and starvation.
In the old Hollywood films, of course, the beautiful maiden cast down by misfortune might show some strength of character, but, in the end, she would always be rescued by the leading man, be he a piratical Errol Flynn, a suave Clark Cable, an amiable Jimmy Stewart, or a tough but gentle John Wayne.
I'm going with the John Wayne type in this one.
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Lindy
November 13, 2014 at 1:28 PM
I agree completely. This is a classic set-up for everything from fairy tales, like Cinderella, to many modern day movies, like Trading Places. The proud hero or heroine is brought low, learns something on his or her way down and survives to become a better person.
And, until very recently even in places like Western Europe and North America, a woman on her own with no support was in a very vulnerable position. A woman would move from the control of her father to her husband to, in some cases, her son even with money that rightfully belonged to her. The only way a woman could regain control of the property she brought into a marriage was if her husband died leaving her childless. Hence the name "Merry Widow".
In Victorian era Great Britain, a maidservant "seduced" by her employer who became pregnant could be cast out as a "fallen" woman. Often this so-called seduction would nowadays fit the description of rape. Most often her only recourse would be prostitution and the outcome for her child would be equally dire.
As for being rescued by Oh Ji-ho in the John Wayne role, I'll take it!
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13 ultramarineblue
November 13, 2014 at 12:50 PM
Love Jung Yumi so I'm really looking forward to this drama! Yay she's not an evil role in this one lol. I haven't seen much of Kim Dong Wook but it looks like he's been in a lot of movies so I'm also looking forward to seeing him!
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14 museofmanymasks
November 13, 2014 at 2:15 PM
I'm glad Jung Yumi isn't evil in this, the stills look nice, and its JTBC, who surely would have to at least line up something decent after the most magnificent Yoo-na's Street (waiting for dvd release!). These instill some confidence in me.
And if its anything like the drama festival Swine (or Escaping Slavery in which young imperious nobleman was sold into slavery and taken down a few notches whilst delivering laughs) it'll be a pleasant ride...though I do hope they focus more on how the class divide effects the slaves rather than lots of scenes of scheming nobleman laughing maniacally...
I'm believing in you show! You can doooo eeeettt!
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15 spazmo
November 13, 2014 at 2:32 PM
how long has it been since oh ji ho had a mane of glory....
*sigh*
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16 coolrepublica
November 13, 2014 at 4:32 PM
Korean version of downtown abbey with slaves. lol
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17 earthna
November 13, 2014 at 4:37 PM
ohhh sounds interesting and I love Jung Yumi! I needed something to watch now that Yoona's Street is over. My Monday-Tuesday would be empty.
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18 JoyBells
November 13, 2014 at 7:33 PM
It looks pretty intresting.And a different approach to normal sageuk. Also the one thing i love about sageuk are the hanboks and traditional jewellery.So damn pretty!!
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